


Bittersweet Remedy (Poison)

by Michevalier



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Allusion to Drug Addiction, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst, Blood Drinking, Child Murder, Emotional Hurt, Established Relationship, Heavy Angst, Hotdogshipping, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Prostitution, M/M, Shosaku, alternative universe, cold and rainy weather along with being sick push me to write gloomy and angsty fics, though I write angst most of the times tbh, vampire!Yusaku
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-06 15:53:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12820902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Michevalier/pseuds/Michevalier
Summary: A vampire and a human. Brought together on a whim of capricious fate, each of them had found something vital: Yusaku — a safe shelter and a human to feast on, Shoichi —  grim satisfaction of passive revenge against those who took his everything in the past. But what happens if the sweetest remedy is nothing but a poison, love is only a..?





	Bittersweet Remedy (Poison)

**Author's Note:**

> The action is set in early 1830s, somewhere in Europe. I just had this spontaneous idea for a Vampire AU and decided to fulfill it, that's all??

"No, sir. I haven't heard nor seen a thing."

Shoichi, a local butcher of their small, lost among woods town, tried his best to look as composed as he could as sharp steel blue eyes of his interlocutor were piercing right through him.

"I see... that's a pity, indeed," a low, a bit hoarse voice sent some serious shivers down Shoichi's spine. "But if you'll get any information, you know where to find me."

The butcher nodded and the man in snow white cloak abruptly turned away from him and as he did a faint glimmer flashed through the darkness of the night as a moonbeam reflected from a silver cross around the man's neck.

"It's in your own best interest to cooperate with us," the cloaked person rose his stern tone, looking at Shoichi like a judge at an indictee. "Who knows which one of us is going to be the creature's next victim."

"I understand, sir," the butcher bowed humbly.

"I pray you do," the Knight nodded and whipped up his grayish white horse. "Let's go, Spectre."

Shoichi didn't dare to raise his head until the hooves clattering had disappeared into the distance and the nighttime serenity overtook its influence over a small piece of land where the butcher's hut stood. As crickets singing was heard again and the thumping in Shoichi's chest subsided the man sighed and hurried back inside his ramshackle dwelling.

Once inside, the man shut the door and the window shutters firmly and, having took a deep breath, mumbled.

"Now that was close..."

Paranoid, Shoichi looked around his own house, making sure that its walls hadn't suddenly grow any eyes or ears, before he carefully approached the hatch leading to his basement hidden beneath a rag.

"He's gone," he sighed, having opened the hatch. "You may go out now." 

A pair of huge emerald eyes flashed through the darkness before their owner emerged in the middle of Shoichi's hut.

"Would you now care to explain what was this all about?" Yusaku furrowed his brows, looking at the man.

"Vampire hunters', the Knights of Hanoi's leader", Shoichi frowned back at him, "Revolver himself came here searching for you."

"Oh," a smirk appeared on the boy's pallid face. "Who would have thought? What an honor."

Shoichi sighed once more as he shook his head. He seriously wondered whether abnormal state was what was giving his cohabitant so much brashness?

"Forgive me," as if having read the man's thoughts, Yusaku looked to the side, guilty. "I do realize that I went a bit too far regarding my last prey."

Shoichi couldn't help flopping down at a nearby stool and, having leaned his elbows on a table, rubbing his temples.

"Right," he muttered. "It's better for you to memorize that certain maidens are off limits for you."

Their small town was chaotic and kept on being restless for the past couple of days. Lady Aoi Zaizen, the local count's younger sister, was attacked by a "blood-sucking monster from Hell" as people were referring to the children of the night, vampires.

"Now all of them: the count Akira Zaizen, the town's people," Shoichi anxiously clenched his fists, "the entire the Knights of Hanoi organization are after your head. They won't calm down until your heart is pierced with an aspen stake!"

"Naturally," Yusaku shrugged. "Because the young lady is not only beloved by all of the town's folks and highly praised due to her beauty and virtue, she is also the bride of the Knights of Hanoi's leader himself. I sullied his very personal pride by having chosen her as my victim, right?"

Shoichi's only answer to this was disgruntled grumbling.

It was a real luck that the lady at least stayed alive. She was having a peaceful walk in her little private garden near the count's mansion. The day was exceptionaly gloomy, no sunbeam could manage through thick and heavy gray clouds. A perfect opportunity for a hunter who would always go out only at night. Yusaku was also having a nice stroll outside during daytime and it became even better when his keen vampire senses caught deliciously sweet scent coming from the count's territory direction. Aromas of roses, lilies, orchids or many other flowers were nowhere near that bliss that was making Yusaku's head spin. He immediately followed the wind which was bringing him this delicacy and found the source in the middle of a secluded garden deep into the count's private property. There was a beautiful young lady in light blue dress, she was humming some sweet melody as she tended to hollyhocks. Yusaku approached her as carefully as any hunter its potential prey. His thirst was growing only stronger as the source of delicious smell was closer and closer, there, right under that smooth fair skin where fresh young blood was pulsing in veins. Yusaku could no longer endure it. The quiet song was roughly interrupted as the hunter silenced his victim by pressing a palm to her lips and wrapping another arm around her waist so that she couldn't escape. The lady only managed to squeak as sharp fangs bit into her delicate neck, her caramel eyes widened in shock but then the entire universe just faded in black as her life forces were sucked out of her together with her blood and then there came a loud _thump_  as she hit against the cold ground.

"I'm sorry," Yusaku said as he took another stool and sat next to Shoichi. "It was very risky, I know, I just couldn't help it."

"You were so lucky there were no guards around!" the man scratched the back of his head. "Though it was kinda expected. After that incident only a month ago when some of her guards turned out to be some quite lecherous bastards and because of that she tried to avoid any escort as often as possible."

"There is no need to worry. I didn't drain the lady completely. Some good rest is all she needs to replenish her stamina."

"Yeah, but tell that to our town's folks, to Revolver who won't let it just slip through!" Shoichi snapped.

"Revolver..." Yusaku rubbed his chin, thinking. "The head of the vampire hunters' organization chose himself such an alias because he carries some sort of an exotic weapon with the same name?"

"Right," Shoichi nodded. "It's a revolver and it is widely known that the leader of the Knights uses silver bullets. That's why you must avoid confrontations with that man at any costs!"

"I understand..." the vampire sighed.

A single candle was flickering on top of the table in the middle of the only room inside cramped hut. This tiny source of light created an illusion of a small illuminated safe spot in the midst of the darkness that was sticking to the walls. It was quiet. So quiet that Shoichi's heart was drumming in his own ears as he looked up at Yusaku.

"Say..." he whispered as if could scare away this strange tranquility by speaking any louder.

"Mm?"

"Why... Why did you need to go after her?" Shoichi hoped that his faint blush wouldn't be perceptible in this dim yellowish illumination of the candle.

He almost regretted that he let those words slip out of his mouth when Yusaku blinked and slowly tilted his head, his lingering gaze was akin to hypnosis that drove Shoichi crazy.

"You mean why I chose to feast on her?" the vampire said in absolutely calm tone, though at the back of his mind he did register how Shoichi's light blush turned into a full red glow. "Well, it's simple if you look at it from a hunter's point of view. First, drinking exclusively animal's blood is not healthy for a vampire's diet, it's a vital need for us to have human's blood. Second, blood of young maidens such as lady Zaizen's is very nutritious for any vampire, blood of such great quality rejuvenates us, helps us to hide our most visible vampiric traits like red eyes, abnormally long fangs, pointy ears and crumbled bluish skin. And third... I feel _very_ uncomfortable by drinking only your blood. It feels like I'm abusing you."

Yusaku guiltily lowered his eyes and Shoichi's heart sank, hurt as if someone squeezed it roughly in their fingers.

"Yusaku..." the man gently reached his arm and brushed the vampire's smooth cold cheek with his warm fingertips.

"Shoichi," the vampire held onto his hand, nuzzling against it softly. "I'm so sorry. I'm nothing but a trouble for you."

Shoichi found nothing to say in response, he only held Yusaku closer instead, hugging him. The vampire's eyes became half-lidded as he enjoyed the soothing feeling of a living human's body heat and heartbeat, something which Yusaku himself was, unfortunately, deprived of for the last one hundred and fifty years.

Yes, ever since Yusaku was turned into an undead child of the night his life had been nothing but a blank dark void with constant blotches of bloody red. The vampire could scarcely remember anything from his past, most of his memories were covered in fog of lost time, though there was nothing much pleasant to remember for a poor orphan who used to live on streets. He was only a child but he was forced to strive for survival by fighting for half-rotten leftovers against other tramps and stray animals. His heart was in pain but he he had no other choise but rob other people, steal from shops even if his conscience kept hysterically yelling and cursing him whenever he got his dirty hands on dishonestly obtained loaf of bread. And the most humiliating part of his miserable living was that he had to beg. Right, Yusaku was ready to do anything to get at least a few coins and by anything it meant _literally anything_. Like that one time when Yusaku turned sixteen and, having finally decided to swallow his shame and dignity, gathered all of his courage and offered some middle-aged nobleman certain... special services for one night in exchange for a sum which was enough to get a good dinner for at least a week. The boy could never forget that outrightly carnivorous look in the man's eyes as he checked the beggar from head to toes. Yusaku swallowed thickly; he knew how handsome he was even despite being covered in dirt and wearing tatters most of the time, he learned it well after being almost taken advantage of so many times by his older "comrades" among hobos. And that time was no different: the nobleman, as expected, agreed to "take him in for a night". Oh, if only Yusaku had noticed back then how sharp-toothed was the man's smirk, how eerily his eyes were glimmering with reddish sparks... As the boy found himself unconscious back on the streets several days later and a horrendous unnatural thirst was torturing him — he kept cursing himself for his stupidity ever since.

"Yusaku," Shoichi looked down at him worriedly as he noticed faint pinkish gleams in emerald eyes. "Are you... You're hungry right now, aren't you?"

The vampire shuddered slightly. He didn't really need to be directly told about this, his thirst, the one that only a fellow night child could understand, the dreadful feeling of innards getting dry and steadily crumbling into dust was slowly taking over Yusaku's very essence. The essence that was making him exactly who he was, a monster craving nothing but to quench its thirst while humans kept crying in terror as sharp fangs were biting into their flesh.

"Shoichi, please..." he pulled away from the man, desperately trying not to let his scent make him go crazy.

"What is it?" Shoichi only gripped his shoulders tightly, not letting him out of their embrace. "It's not like we haven't done this before. Besides, you said it yourself that you need a human's blood. I understand if I'm not as "nutritional" as a young lady..."

"I can't..." Yusaku's pale lips were trembling. "If it's you..."

Shoichi interrupted him by removing the top of his own clothing and demonstrating his torso covered in numerous bite marks.

"That's what I'm talking about," the vampire smiled bitterly. "You've become nothing but a food supply ever since I came into your life."

During his abnormally long lifetime Yusaku had been torn apart by the two essences within him, each of them was striving for domination, each of them — a human and a vampire. Even though Yusaku knew that there was nothing much of "a human" left in him, transformation into a vampire literally killed him, made him into nothing but an undead creature depending on someone else's blood in order to keep "living". Alas, most of the times "the vampire Yusaku" was getting the upper hand and "the human Yusaku" had nothing but a severe heartache at the sight of dry corpses drained of their blood completely. Though sometimes Yusaku seriously wondered whether the "heartache" was the right definition to describe how he felt, his heart stopped beating after all... or did it?

Yusaku started doubting it about one year ago when during his inner struggles he collapsed in the woods as inhumane starvation knocked him out. Shoichi, the local butcher who happened to be passing by during hunting on that day, saw the unconscious boy and without a second thought took him to his dwelling in order to nurse him back to his health. Had he known back then _what_ exactly he took in into his own home... when the "guest" dug his unnaturally sharp fangs right into his arm.

"So I can't," Yusaku shook his head. "I don't want to harm the one who has been taking care of me any more. Besides... you have no reasons to do that anyway. I'll only get you into a huge trouble if the Church and the Knights of Hanoi learn that you're hiding a vampire at your place."

"You still don't understand, do you?" Shoichi didn't even try to hide annoyance in his voice as he gripped onto his cohabitant's shoulders. "Should I use your own language then?"

"Shoichi..."

"First, I have a personal grudge against the Church and the Knights of Hanoi and that hella won't make me give you away to them."

Yusaku flinched. He knew what Shoichi was talking about all too well and it was only confirmed as the pain buried deep within the man's heart was smoldering in his eyes at the very same moment.

Three years ago a tragedy befell onto this house. Shoichi's younger brother was accused of being a vampire and slayed by the Knights of Hanoi... except that the boy was _not_ a vampire. The false accusation came from horribly superstitious neighbours which reported to the Knights that the butcher's younger brother was never seen during daytime. Those people stated that whenever they managed to spot him late during rare evenings when he was out on his yard they also noticed that he was terribly pallid and skinny. The boy was very paranoid and neurotic too whenever anyone aside from his brother tried to speak to him, occasionally he would even run away and hide inside his house. Pretty much a picturesque description of a potential vampire, huh? At least this unreliable testimony was enough for the Knights to barge one day into Shoichi's house when the man himself was away and kill the boy while he was peacefully sleeping in his bed. Shoichi kept reliving this horrible day every night in his nightmares: unsuspecting, he returned home from his work and discovered his little brother dead as several Knights were hovering above his bed with its sheets stained with blood, blood was also dripping from blades of the Knights' swords.

"Oh. So he's not one of that blood-sucking monsters?" Shoichi could never forget the nonchalant and even mocking tone as one of the Knight's looked at him and with absolutely straight face said. "Accept our condolences."

_Accept our condolences._

That was everything that those "righteous" bastards offered to Shoichi, not even an apology as his heart stopped beating while he was looking at the huge crimson puddle flowing from beneath his brother's bed. Yes... that much of blood was a definite proof that the boy was not a vampire since they lack any of it to begin with.

And, just like that, Shoichi lost his only close person, his only solace ever since their parents died long time ago. The Knights of Hanoi took his brother away and didn't even apologize... though what kind of shallow words would that have been to a big brother's broken heart?! It didn't matter, nothing mattered as a deep hatred for those "virtuous warriors" poisoned Shoichi's mind forever and ever...

And that was the first reason of why he kept a _real_ vampire around this time, not caring about consequences which without doubts included his own execution. Really, Shoichi couldn't care less of what would happen to him as long as he could make his poor brother's spirit rest in peace. After all, the man knew that there was no sin on the boy and the true reason of why he avoided daylight and other people was in fact because he was very sick and feeble from his very birth and didn't develop enough social skills to interact with strangers as he would spend most of his time in safety of his own home.

"Second," Shoichi said as Yusaku parted his lips to obviously express some objections, "It's not a big deal that you feast on me. My stamina is always quick to replenish itself, maximum what I can feel is a light dizziness."

"But if someone were to notice those bite marks..." the vampire muttered as he hung his head and cringed in the man's grip.

"There is nothing to worry about," Shoichi gave him a tender smile as he caressed his chin and made him look up so that their eyes could meet. "You're very thoughtful and careful and bite only in those places where it can be covered under clothes."

"Shoichi, I..."

"Come on," the man got up and took the vampire's hand, gently tugging it so that they both could proceed in Shoichi's bed direction. "It's not healthy to be hungry, isn't it?"

Yusaku gulped and his legs mechanically moved as he approached the bed.

"Come here," Shoichi smiled gently as he lied down and reached his arms upwards, welcoming the vampire into embrace. "Do your stuff, quickly."

That "quickly" echoed inside Yusaku's head and his vision went bright crimson: his feral instincts took ahold of him entirely as he let out a low growl and sucked up on the man's chest hard. A loud moan slipped off Shoichi's lips for a brief moment as sharp teeth pierced especially sensitive skin around his nipple and a pair of thirsty lips leeched onto his flesh with inhumane strength.

"Aah... There you go," Shoichi murmured, stroking Yusaku's hair affectionately. "Fill yourself up as much as you need."

"Ugh..." the vampire grimaced slightly at the sour taste of his skin. "I don't really like it when my dinner is mixed with sweat."

"It can't be helped. Do you think it's easy to control oneself when Revolver is staring right into one's soul?"

"Fine. I'm blaming him for spoiling my feast then."

"May I ask a question?" Shoichi gasped as Yusaku's tongue touched his nipple by accident.

"Hmm?"

"Why do you prefer sucking me here?" the man anchored his fingers into the vampire's hair and started panting as his lapping grew more intense. Indeed, out of all places on Shoichi's torso this spot, around his left nipple, was the one "attacked" the most.

"Why?" Yusaku pulled away from a moment to lick some blood off his lips and then dug his fangs into again, forcing a loud moan out of Shoichi at the burning ache of his sucking mouth. "Your heart is here..." came a muffled answer.

That was one and the only reason why this was his favorite spot. Shoichi's heart was fluttering in the very vicinity of Yusaku's touch. _Thump, thump_... These long-forgotten sounds of life, they were so pleasing to his ears. Yusaku was not entirely sure what but there was definitely something more to this rite of feasting on Shoichi's blood, no, it wasn't just a primitive act of getting fed. Whenever Yusaku sucked on this man he would receive not only vital nutriments — some strange feeling, a mixture of comfort and happiness would soak right into his bones. His body and mind would become dangerously relaxed in Shoichi's strong but gentle arms. Warmth, the one Yusaku had never experienced in his one hundred and sixty six years of living, kept coursing through his entire body and as he felt like he was about to melt the vampire hallucinated that he was alive again, that he was lying in the sun and his heart was beating just like that, in perfect harmony with Shoichi's. And these sensations were truly magical as they turned the man's insipid, by other vampires' standards, blood into an exquisite delicacy, much more flavored than that of a young maiden's. Shoichi's blood was so sweet that it tasted like a real remedy to Yusaku's own drained body so he kept on filling and filling, filling and filling himself...

"H-hey, Yusaku," Shoichi's limbs twitched as the man's face turned pale. "I-I think you're overdoing it a little now..."

Common sense inflicted a hard blow on the vampire's head and he recoiled that instant.

"S-sorry..." he guiltily looked to the side, blood was trickling from the corners of his mouth.

Shoichi chuckled and gently brushed his thumb across Yusaku's lips, tasting his own blood right in front of the vampire's wide open eyes.

"No need to worry," the man gave him an absent-minded smile as his gray eyes were clouded and his pupils were dilated. "I'm all yours if you need me."

Yusaku's mind went blank at the horrendous realization that kept striking him every time after Shoichi was accepting his fangs into his flesh.

"My blood is all yours to drink," Shoichi moved closer as they sat on bed and, having wrapped his arm around the vampire's waist, pulled him closer, whispering into his ear. "Hey, I forgot to tell you the third reason why I'm letting you stay here, mm?"

Something not even nearly like Shoichi reflected in the man's eyes, sending shivers down Yusaku's spine and causing imaginary(?) heartache to throb inside his chest.

"I love you, Yusaku," Shoichi's erratic breath burned his earlobe. "And I'm not letting you go. Never."

The vampire swallowed thickly; a lump of tears that were never destined to be shed clogged his throat.

_This was the reason why Yusaku so desperately tried to avoid feasting on Shoichi and searched for another sources of nutrition._

There was certain something about the vampire + his regular victim's relationship. It was something that Yusaku wanted to avoid at all costs with anyone, with Shoichi... _especially_ with Shoichi! Doing something like that to the man who gave him so much love and care that he had never received in his whole life... no, it was way too cruel! But it happened...

After feasting on the same victim for too many times a vampire's fangs start secreting special mind-controlling poison. As fangs bite into the victim's flesh they receive an enormous feeling of euphoria and affection towards the vampire.

_Yes, Yusaku's bittersweet remedy was a real poison that was slowly but steadily killing off Shoichi's mind, turning him into a mindless, zombified blood supply._

"I love you, Yusaku..." Shoichi whispered, kissing his lips. "I love you..."

"I love you too, Shoichi," he felt an invisible noose tightening around his neck as he kissed him back.

" _I must surrender to Revolver as soon as possible,_ " flashed through Yusaku's fading thoughts as he allowed Shoichi to gently push him down onto the bed. " _I love you, Shoichi... and that's why I need to perish from this world, forever._ "

**Author's Note:**

> My heart hurts for my poor sons... I mean it ._.


End file.
